Page 1 of 518 Hope Ave
1
Quinn
"Quinn, could you call Ezra Taylor for me? Remind him these payments are due by the end of the week," Sarah from Student Events says as she places a clipboard onto my desk.
I tuck my reddish-brown hair behind my ear, my gut sinking as I just stare at the invoices. "Really? You wantmeto do that? What’s all this for?"
She sighs dramatically. "Oh, you know, it's the end of the year so school play, end-of-year class trip, graduation…" She trails off and then shakes her head. "These kids get more and more each year, it's no wonder most of them are so spoiled," she says in a murmur while covering her mouth with a hand.
I chuckle. "You don't need to tell me twice. Something new every damn year. Makes me glad I don’t have kids yet. They’d cost a mint." I glance at the clipboard before looking back to Sarah. "I'll speak to Ezra the next time I see him."
"Thanks, Quinn. You're a doll!" She grins as she turns around to walk away, but she stops in her tracks as something seems to catch her eye outside the window. "Looks like now's the time," she says, jutting her chin toward the window.
I follow her line of sight and spot the tall, dark, and handsome Ezra Taylor dropping off his siblings, Lucas and Cora. Lucas—an almost mirror image of Ezra—flicks his dark hair out of his eyes then gives Ezra a fist bump before walking off into school. Then the blonde-haired Cora gives Ezra a big hug before running off toward a group of her friends.
I sigh before picking up the clipboard and walking out of the school office. Most days I love working as the secretary of the Cherry Falls Schoolhouse—I love the kids and my work colleagues, and the job itself—but today…needing to ask a struggling family for money, I really hate my job.
As I walk to the front of the school, Ezra is already walking away. "Ezra!" I yell to get his attention before I lose him.
He stops in his tracks and turns before breaking into a friendly smile. "Oh, hi, Ms. Hartsworth. What can I do for you?" he asks in an easy voice, his hands sliding into his pockets as he meets my eyes.
"Call me Quinn, please," I start and scratch my arm in nervousness. “We were at school at the same time if you remember.” Ezra was a freshman during my senior year. “So, it feels weird being Ms. Hartsworth to you.”
He chuckles. “OK. What can I do for you, Quinn? I’m not trying to rush you along, but I’ve got some errands before work—”
“Say no more. It’s just the end of the year is nigh, and I need to ask you to pay for Lucas's and Cora's year-end events. They’re um…overdue." I lift the clipboard to illustrate.
He grimaces but quickly recovers his composure. "What events are these?"
"Like the costumes for the school play, the class trip, and graduation…"
He snatches the clipboard from me and scoffs, that easy demeanor from before shifting entirely. "Why does every single grade need to 'graduate' into the next? Can't they just wait until the end of high school like we had to back when we were in school? It's as if they justwantkids to drop out with their participation ribbon or something."
I wince slightly at his comment, although he's absolutely right. I sigh and touch his arm sympathetically. "I know it's totally excessive, and I'm really sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I’m just…"
“Doing your job. I know.” He pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head before sighing, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that to you, it's not your fault."
I hate that I had to say that to him, especially because Iknowwhat has happened in his life. A lot of us here in Cherry Falls do. He was eighteen and just shy of graduating when his parents died in a car accident on the way back from Syn City, leaving him and his two siblings on their own. They have no one else, no grandparents, no aunts or uncles, so Ezra gave up on going to college to take care of his younger siblings. It's hard enough to be the older sibling most days, but having toparentthem too? And to be agoodparent. I can't imagine how much pressure that has been over the last four years, and I hate having to put any more on his plate.
He slumps his shoulders. "I'll be in after school to fix this up. How much is it in total?"
"Umm," I start before I take the clipboard back and bite the inside of my cheek.Fuck…He's not going to like this. "For both Lucas and Cora, you owe seven hundred and seventy-five dollars."
His body tenses and he mutters something under his breath. About a heartbeat later, he looks back at me with a grim smile. "OK. I'll make it work...somehow." He whispers the last word. "Thanks. I'll see you later, Quinn."
“Bye, Ezra.”
As he walks away, defeat written all over his posture, I can't help but think about my own upbringing. I lost my parents when I was really young, even before I started school, but there was so much love during those short years that we had together that I still feel the ache in my heart to this day. But at least I had Nanna. At least I had her, teaching me the ropes of life and bringing me up. Ezra doesn’t have any of that.
It must be so difficult having to step into the role of a parent all while grieving the loss of his own. My heart aches for him and the struggles he was forced to endure all because of a single accident. It’s like he’s aged right before my eyes, once young and full of hope, now his broad shoulders are weighed down with the trouble of the world. I wish I could do something, anything, to help him alleviate his stress and pain. I just don’t know how.
2
Ezra
Ididn’t even know Cora signed up for the end of year play. Now I have to pay for a costume? I hate saying no to the kids, but how am I supposed to find the money for this?
My mind races as I make my way to the car in the school parking lot. I lean against the door to the driver's side and take a deep inhale, listening to the sounds around me, trying to center myself, just like the lady in the YouTube videos said to do. Birds chirping, kindergarteners playing.
